WEST HILLS EARNS FIRST EAST COUNTY HOCKEY CROWN

ESCONDIDO 
This season’s West Hills High roller hockey team may be remembered as the great eight, a small roster with big ambitions. The Wolf Pack will definitely be known as the East County’s first champion in the sport.

Junior Ryden Kerr scored at 4:40 into overtime to lift West Hills past top-seeded Rancho Bernardo 6-5 for the Metro Conference title on Wednesday night at Escondido Sports Center.

David Baldwin scored the first three West Hills goals and Zach Peters provided the next two before the No. 2 Wolf Pack (15-3-1) prevailed in its second finals in three years.

“It was nerve-racking, but I knew that we could pull it through,” said Baldwin, a fourth-year varsity member. “We just had to skate as fast as we could and never stop hustling. We would just execute and play our game, then it would happen.”

At the end, Kerr took possession at mid-rink, passed the puck to Peters and then received it back for the decisive shot while charging on goal.

“I was trying to get the puck on net,” Kerr said. “I can’t even explain how good it is to win. It’s just a great feeling.”

Only the Wolf Pack was able to beat Rancho Bernardo (19-2) this season. The teams split their two previous encounters.

West Hills had seven players back from last season, when it reached the semifinals and later topped the Broncos in the third-place game. The team’s one newcomer was goaltender Miguel San Martin.

“We worked hard all year for it,” Baldwin said. “We’d all show for practice, and we’d give it our all every game. All of us are friends, so we had a team chemistry.”

Sophomore Spencer Ridout had two goals and two assists to lead Rancho Bernardo, and Alex Pelletier added two goals. Down 5-3 in the third period, the Broncos pulled even at 4:17 left in regulation on scores by Zach Semonian and Ridout two minutes apart.

Rancho Bernardo was seeking its first title since 2008 with six players back from last season’s squad.

“We had a nucleus of a very good team (to start the season),” Broncos coach Pat Segara said.